Hallet Davis bridge agraffes

Phillip L Ford fordpiano@lycos.com
Wed, 21 Nov 2001 17:16:45 0000


Tom,
Thanks for sharing this.  I don't know if it was mentioned
before, but for those that are interested, these agraffes do
not have straight through holes like current plate agraffes.
The holes go through the agraffe at an angle (angled with
reference to the string plane, or another way to say it,
the holes on one side of the agraffe are higher above the
bridge than the holes on the other side of the agraffe) so
the string takes an upward or downward jog from one side of
the agraffe to the other.  Alternate agraffes are reversed.
One agraffe will be oriented so that the string takes an
upward jog and on the next note the agraffe will be reversed
so that the string makes a downward jog.  The string taking
a jog like that puts a rolling moment on the agraffe.  I
think the idea is that by reversing the direction of the jogs
on every other agraffe the net rolling moment on the bridge
is zero.  Someone, I believe Clark, mentioned that some of
these pianos have typical notched and pinned bridges in the
top section.  Was this piano like that or did the bridge
agraffes go all the way to the top?

Phil
---
Phillip Ford
Piano Service & Restoration
1777 Yosemite Ave - 215
San Francisco, CA  94124


On Sun, 18 Nov 2001 09:04:24  
 Tom Driscoll wrote:
>Enclosed photo of Hallet Davis Grand  referenced by Phil Ford in recent
>discussion of bridge agraffes. Piano was built in 1890's and bridge system
>is still in good condition.   Photo courtesy of Moody Piano in Marlboro Ma.
>    Tom Driscoll
>
>
>>
>>
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
>
>
>
>
>




This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC